I thought I posted something similar to this after rotating here, but someone just asked for info about the program, so I thought I'd give my 2 cents worth to any future applicants.
I was on the trauma team, and much of your impression will depend on which team you end up on. I worked from 4 am until 7 pm 6 to 7 days a week. The call is divided based on how many people are rotating (there were 3 my first week - Q3 40 hour shifts was almost unbearable to maintain stamina, 4 the 2nd week, 6 the 3rd week, and 8 the last week). The students on the other services (hand, spine, etc) where more like 6 am to 6 pm, and didn't get as much hands on as I did. No one will argue the trauma team is where all the action is, but that doesn't mean the other services are dead. I think the best way I can approach this in an organized fasion is with a pro and con list, so here it is, I hope this is helpful:
Pro:
1. Stacked call. The primary ortho residents that take call out of all 20 is the trauma team (generally 2 PGY2's. 1 PGY3, and a PGY5). You are on trauma for 6 months as a PGY2, 3 months as a PGY3, and 3 months as a chief (i.e.- Q3 as a trauma junior). The 5809 pager (notorious) takes all ER pages, and all ortho pt floor calls (regardless of whether they are foot, hand, spine, etc.). While this is an aweful thing when you are carrying the 5809 pager (you get brutalized), it is the most golden and sacrad thing for the non-trauma team residents. Furthermore, the trauma juniors have each others back, and kick each other out of the hospital after only 26-27 hours of call, so it's intense, but not unbearable. As far as I could tell, the rest of the 16 residents only covered the Saturday call (the one night the trauma team was off) - not sure what Q this worked out to, but it's pretty sweet.
2. Most of the residents are very cool people (not the most laid back, or fun loving, but not uptight or boring either- somewhere in between). A couple are wound tight, but you probably have 1 or 2 everywhere.
3. Most of the attendings are very cool.
4. While its definitely a trauma centered program, they are not over traumatized (hahaha) like at USC (21 months of trauma service). They spend plenty of quality time in all the specialties, with the recent exception of foot and ankle (not uncommon).
5. They are a highly regarded program, and in some circles they are considered the best program in Cali. However, I think that is mostly because all of the programs in Cali have some major flaws, so I think it's rep is a little higher than deserved (the PD even explicitly admitted this to me). There are clearly better programs in the midwest and east (Univ of Wisc and UNC are ones that I had first hand experience of, but there are many).
6. Sacramento is a cool city, especially if you have a family, but even if you don't. This all depends on perspective though. I grew up in a medium sized town, so Sac was a fairly big city, and as such had a good city life. There are a few clubs, countless great restaurants, some very cool historic areas, Old Town Sac is awesome, etc.
7. The young trauma attending (Dr. Lee) organizes a pick up basketball game that gets fairly serious every Wed. night in his kid's private school gym. Great games and excercise. Good bonding, definitely recommend it if you are at least a decent player. If you totally suck at basketball, you might get embaressed, so in that case I'd thin twice.
8. 1 hour to the snow in the winter, 2 hours to the ocean in the summer, and 1 1/2 hours to SF for the real night life.
9. New OR next year. They have a brand new ortho floor, and in general the hospital is quite nice. The cafeteria would get old quick, but I'm sure this is fairly true everywhere.
10. Pretty strong research department (most aspects of ortho research happening).
Cons
1. They are weak in foot and ankle, and despite having a tumor guy he's not very busy. However, at least half of all programs are missing either foot and ankle or tumor. They do have a private foot and ankle surgeon they work with (who splits one resident with tumor for a 3 month rotation). The one resident that was on that service was quite unhappy about the whole situation. They had 2 exclusive foot guys until 2-3 years ago, when they bailed for a better private practice situation.
2. The Chairman is stepping down after this year (he's been on for ~5 years since Chapman). They were in the process of interviewing for a new chairman, but this might put them on probation, but more importantly could bring many changes, likely good, but a huge upheaval could have bad repercussions, you just never know.
3. The PD is a good guy, but isn't the most talkative, fun loving, or friendliest I have met.
4. They work fairly long hours, compared to the easier programs (most community programs), but especially on the trauma service - generally start rounding ~5-5:45 am and stay late.
5. Didactics are not often. They have an impromtu lecture ~once per week, a pre and post grand rounds lecture, grand rounds, and then the anatomy stuff (about the same everywhere - resident lecture, then attending supervised disection discussion).
6. Sacramento is no LA, Chicago, NY, etc., in particular for the single life.
7. The hospital is not in a great area of Sac, so most residents live in surrounding suburbs (15 to 30 minute commute), which is not bad, and true at many places, but not ideal.
Overall, like everywhere there's plusses and minuses, but it's still a great program. I'm certain anyone leaving here is competant to practice immediately, can get great fellowships, and also is in decent shape if they wanted to go into academics.
